Buttons

I hope my last post was an inspiration to you all and I'm back to talk about buttons! There are many different ways to add buttons to your pages and i am going to talk about two of them. The first way is to sew them on with a coordinating or contrasting color thread. Another way is to use sticky or pop dots! They both will attach them to the page even though sewing is my favorite way! Next time we will talk about using stickers on your pages!

How to Keep an Inspiration Journal

The easiest way to keep an inspiration journal is to get several 3-ring binders and start collecting information and inspiration. When you come across an idea you like on the internet, print it out, punch holes in it and place it in the binder. You can separate the different subjects with tabs or even keep a different binder for each subject. A good idea is to search "scrapbooking inspiration" or "scrapbooking ideas" or "scrapbooking sketches" on a search engine. You will come across many good ideas. Please post replies upon how this helped you. Also, when you find a sketch that you like, cut it out (or print or draw it if you must) and glue it in a notebook just for sketches. Above or below each sketch write the page title of the page you want to use it for, the theme of the page, and any papers or embellishments that you already have or want to buy for that page. I hope this helps! Next time we will talk about using buttons on your pages.

Rubber and Clear Stamps

Today we will talk about how to use stamps. A rubber stamp is easy to use. You just press it into the ink pad and press it onto the paper. With a clear stamp, the stamps come on a sheet of clear plastic and you peel them off, stick them on a clear acrylic block, and press it into the ink pad and then onto the paper. And that's how you use stamps.

How to Attach a Brad

Attaching a brad is one of the easiest techniques in scrapbooking. First, you mark a little dot where you want the brad to go. Next, using a paper piercer punch a small hole in the paper where the dot is. Put the two prongs on the back of the brad into the hole and turn the paper around. Separate the two prongs and flatten them on the back of the page. You have attached a brad! Next time we will talk about how to stamp with rubber and clear stamps.

The Main Components

Today we are going to talk about the main components of a scrapbook page.
1. Photos. Every scrapbook page needs at least one photo to preserve memories.
2. A title. Some people don't use titles on every page but I encourage it because it tells what a scrapbook page is all about.
3. Journaling. To me the most important element of a scrapbook page is the journaling because it tells what you really feel about something and it make you feel good to just relax and try to remember that event.

We are also going to talk about all kinds of embellishments. You can get metal embellishments, flowers, brads, eyelets, and many other kinds of embellishments. Next time we will talk about how to attach a brad to your scrapbook page.

How to Make a Basic Page

The first step in making a basic scrapbook page is to chose the photos. They can all be of the same person or event. Chose 1-5 photos. Next you need to choose some paper. Decide upon 2 pieces each of CS and PP. Next choose which piece of CS will be your background (BG) and set it aside. With the other piece of CS cut a piece a little bigger than your main photo. Adhere the photo in the center with glue or tape of some sort. Arrange the photos on the BG sheet and adhere. Use the 2 sheets of PP to decorate your page. Next time we will talk about embellishments and the main components of a scrapbook page.

What You Need

Now we will talk about what you need to scrapbook. First of all, you'll need an album of some kind. They are available in all kinds of sizes and colors. Be prepared to pay around $10.00-$20.00 for an album. The most common size is 12" x 12". There are many other sizes as well, even mini albums! The next most important thing is paper (this is if you already have your photos handy.) They have paper that they sell by the sheet as well as in packs. You will need patterned paper (PP) and cardstock (CS). Next you'll need embellishments. There are all kind of embellishments including flowers, brads, eyelets, stickers, and all kinds of other things. I also want to mention that for inspiration, you can't beat scrapbook.com. Also the abbreviations are what I'm going to be calling them so pay special attention to them. Next we'll talk about making a basic scrapbook page.